Measurement and Engineering Research and Standards
Active
- Assistance listing
- 11.609
- Agency
-
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Department of Commerce
- Grant awards
- 3,598 $1,647,149,700 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Cooperative Agreement
- Project Grant
- Treasury accounts
-
- 13-4650-0-4-376
- 13-0515-0-1-376
- 13-0525-0-1-376
- 13-0500-0-1-376
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) funds scientific and engineering research and technology transfer for measurement and standards under Assistance Listing 11.609, with the most recent grant award issued on February 1, 2027.
Program activity remains steady but is decelerating. NIST awarded 119 grants in 2023, 109 in 2024, 62 in 2025, and 17 in 2026; two awards have closed in 2027 to date. The portfolio spans over 26 years of grant history dating to August 2000. The program predominantly funds cooperative agreements (75 percent of awards) with a smaller share of project grants (25 percent), and NIST dominates funding decisively: the National Institute of Standards and Technology awarded 3,596 of 3,598 total awards ($1.64 billion in federal dollars obligated), while the US Census Bureau and National Telecommunications and Information Administration together accounted for two awards totaling $9.7 million.
Recent funded work spans measurement science, materials characterization, autonomous systems, quantum computing hardware and control, semiconductor reliability and manufacturing, robotics standardization and testing, forensic science standards and methods, building resilience standards, artificial intelligence applications across manufacturing and forensics, and biotherapeutic formulation optimization. Representative recent awards include development of autonomous decision-making methods for materials characterization using multi-fidelity active learning and large language models ($150 thousand); phase field modeling workshops and benchmark problem development ($97.7 thousand); AI-driven automated software testing tools for multiple programming languages ($249.6 thousand); and AI-enabled manufacturing systems combining sensors, actuators, and machine learning ($399 thousand).
Combined federal and non-federal dollars obligated total $1.73 billion, with individual awards typically ranging from $18 thousand to $600 thousand. Most awards run one to five years.
Two open opportunities carry September 15, 2026, and May 21, 2025, due dates. The Measurement Science and Engineering Research Grant Programs (2025-NIST-MSE-01, due 9/15/26) solicits research in metrology, standards, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, advanced communications, advanced manufacturing, measurement science, neutron research, and standards-system coordination from non-federal entities including higher education, nonprofits, for-profits, state and local governments, and Indian tribes. The Precision Measurement Grant Program (2025-NIST-PMGP-01, due 5/21/25) funds fundamental measurement research and determination of fundamental constants.
Objective and description
- Objective
To provide scientific and engineering research and technology transfer for measurement and standards.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Institutions of higher education (e.g. universities and colleges), professional institutes and associations, nonprofit organizations, State and local governments, laboratories, and commercial organizations.
- Beneficiary eligibility
Universities, colleges, professional institutes and associations, nonprofit organizations, State and local governments, and commercial organizations.
- Credentials and documentation
Applicants must have and demonstrate scientific competence in areas of research for which grants are requested. Costs will be determined in accordance with applicable cost principles found at 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E.
- Uses of assistance
Grant money will be used to further scientific and engineering research and technology transfer in areas of fire research, building research, precision measurement, automation manufacturing, materials science, chemistry, physics, biotechnology, electronics, optical technologies, mathematics, neutron research, nanoscale science and technology, manufacturing engineering, communications and information science and technology, and other areas of specific research. Focus areas of high interest include: energy, environment, information technology/cybersecurity, biosciences/healthcare, disaster resilience, manufacturing, physical infrastructure, forensic sciences, and communications technology, including public safety.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Usually one to five years in length.
How to apply
- Application procedure
Applicants should reply to Notices of Funding Opportunities posted at www.grants.gov.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Criteria vary with competition. Specific criteria are listed in Notices of Funding Opportunities posted at www.grants.gov.
- Award procedure
Award process based upon published selection criteria.
- Time to approval or disapproval
Regular programs approval times are from 6 to 9 months.
- Renewals
Future or continued funding will be at the discretion of NIST, based on such factors as satisfactory performance and the availability of funds. Renewals are competed whereas continuations of multi-year agreements are not subject to further competition.
Grant opportunities
Show 39 more
Latest 49 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 3,598 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University Of Maryland, College Park | $392,833,157 | 24% |
| 2 | The Regents Of The University Of Colorado | $267,191,124 | 16% |
| 3 | Northwestern University | $61,629,759 | 4% |
| 4 | University Of Delaware | $48,097,257 | 3% |
| 5 | Theiss Research | $39,217,527 | 2% |
| 6 | Colorado State University | $26,354,172 | 2% |
| 7 | Nanoelectronics Research Corporation | $26,324,550 | 2% |
| 8 | Carnegie-Mellon University | $23,690,571 | 1% |
| 9 | Trustees Of Indiana University | $18,119,066 | 1% |
| 10 | Iowa State University Of Science And Technology | $17,413,803 | 1% |
10 of 655 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $26,048,244 |
| FY2025 | $45,902,600 |
| FY2024 | $84,310,183 |
| FY2023 | $94,867,028 |
| FY2022 | $116,795,042 |
| FY2021 | $96,125,537 |
| FY2020 | $67,148,431 |
| FY2019 | $74,759,067 |
| FY2018 | $79,446,294 |
| FY2017 | $91,794,118 |
| FY2016 | $67,794,943 |
| FY2015 | $84,434,315 |
| FY2014 | $109,139,083 |
| FY2013 | $90,269,862 |
| FY2012 | $85,783,780 |
| FY2011 | $57,092,859 |
| FY2010 | $112,515,320 |
| FY2009 | $44,543,871 |
| FY2008 | $37,177,251 |
| FY2007 | $39,918,332 |
| FY2006 | $30,460,194 |
| FY2005 | $28,812,906 |
| FY2004 | $17,692,320 |
| FY2003 | $16,631,509 |
| FY2002 | $41,217,300 |
| FY2001 | $37,118,230 |
Show all 26
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 11.609?
Assistance Listing 11.609 is Measurement and Engineering Research and Standards, a federal grant program run by National Institute of Standards and Technology (Department of Commerce).
What is the CFDA number for Measurement and Engineering Research and Standards?
Its CFDA number is 11.609: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 11.609 awarded?
3,598 grant awards under 11.609 have obligated $1,647,149,700 in federal funds to 655 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 11.609?
The recipients obligated the most under Measurement and Engineering Research and Standards are University Of Maryland, College Park ($392,833,157), The Regents Of The University Of Colorado ($267,191,124) and Northwestern University ($61,629,759).
How much did 11.609 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 11.609 obligated $45,902,600 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 11.609?
None of the latest 49 opportunities under 11.609 is open now. The latest, Measurement Science and Engineering (MSE) Research Grant Programs, was posted on May 14, 2025.
On GovTribe
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